The 34-year-old stars in the first English language film from Oldboy's Park Chan-Wook, alongside Nicole Kidman and Mia Wasikowska, about a mysterious Uncle Charlie who has an unhealthy obsession with his niece.

Matthew said: "Charlie is a slippery customer. He comes in at the beginning and you're not quite sure about him," Matthew said. "I don't want to say he's a psychopath but there's something slightly odd.

"Nothing is what it appears. Charlie is extremely unbalanced and he has feelings for India that are not all uncle-like.

"The challenge for me was that rather than being simply evil, he has to have a centre to him that we like, which is disorienting and quite scary. It was very interesting to try and get the psychology of him right."

But Matthew was able to shake the unpleasant character at the end of the working day.

"I'm not method," he said. "So it would be quite disturbing if I stayed in character the whole time. I take it quite seriously during the hours of work, and then afterwards I like to think I'm quite good fun."